Investigation of environmental effects of new salt fields and natural gas storage facilities that are planned to be built on Tuz Gölü subbasin

Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake) is the second largest lake of Turkey. More than 50% of Turkey?s salt demand is obtained from this lake. The lake is like a narrow bay in the north, widening towards south. In the recent years, the narrow bay in the north was opened to the salt companies and these companies established worksites on the lake by creating their own salt fields. In this only passage point between the north and the south of the lake, especially in the summer months, the lake faces the danger of separating into two. In addition, the dam that was built on Peçeneközü creek, the only waterstream that feeds the lake from the north, has caused this creek to dry up. Furthermore, a natural gas storage facility is being built to the south of Tuz Gölü. Because the facility?s storage chambers will be created by melting underground salt domes using water, the required water will be supplied from underground water reserves and Hirfanlı dam. Resulting salty water will be released to the lake. All this work has been investigated with the cause-and-effect relationships, and suggestions about this matter has been addressed. Remote Detection data was used due to the swamp-like vicinity of the lake and possibility of utilizing this in large fields of Konya Closed Basin. Using simultaneous satellite data of Konya Closed Basin, which also contains Tuz Gölü, from Landsat 5, Landsat 7, and EO-1 satellites, the changes in the terrain was investigated. Later, this data was compared with terrestrial data. This information revealed that the wetlands in Konya Closed Basin has decreased 30% during the period of 1984-2011. Tuz Gölü has shrunk 70% and is the most affected lake from this change. Besides, because tons of rock and sand mound that belongs to the newly-opened salt fields in the north-south passage point of the lake precludes the passage from the north to the south, Tuz Gölü, showing up to 70% decrease in its size from 1987 to date, will separate into two and its disappearance will be accelerated. Work needed to be done for the transfer of Turkey?s white pearl Tuz Gölü in its natural structure to future generations was discussed.